Cotton-compress.



No. 707,679. Patented Aug. 26, I902.

J. L. BENTON.

BUTTON COMPRESS.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1902.)

(No Mudel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Aug. 26, I902.

J. L. BENTON. COTTON COMPRESS.

(Application filed Mm. X7, 1902.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2;

(No Model.)

' UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. DENTON, OF \VHITEWRIGHT, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MCMILLIN& LIVELY, OF WVI-IITEWRIGHT, TEXAS, A FIRM.

COTTON-COMPRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 707,679, dated August26, 1902.

Application filed March 1'7, 1902. Serial No. 98,572. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. DENTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Whitewright, in the county of Grayson and State ofTexas,have invented a new and useful Cotton- Oompress, of which thefollowingis a specification.

My invention is an improved cotton-compress adapted to be used inconnection with a cotton-baling press for increasing the density andreducing the size of the bales formed in the press; and it consistsinthe peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fullyset forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is partly an elevation and partlya vertical sectional view of a cotton-compress embodyingmyimprovements,showing the same arranged for operation in connectionwith a cottonpress having a plurality of revoluble pressboxes. Fig. 2 isa sectional View taken 011 a plane indicated by the line a a of Figi l.The cotton-baling press here shown includes a pair of press-boxes A,mounted for' revolution on a post B, so that they may be successivelydisposed over a plunger 0, which may be operated by any suitablemechanism and caused to move upwardly through each of the press-boxes insuccession to form bales therein. In practice one of the press-boxeswill be supplied with cotton directly from the gins while a bale isbeing formed in the other press-box, so that the gins may be kept continuously or practically continuously in operation. Each of the movablepress-boxes is provided with a follower D, which is removable therefromfrom the upper end of the press-box, and each of the press-boxes isfurther provided at its upper end with hinged or removable doors E,which when disposed as shown in the drawings form vertical upperextensions of the press-boxes.

The upper end of the postB, which forms the pivot for the revolublepress-boxes, is

5 here shown as secured to the under side of an elevated supporting-beaml.- The same may in practice be a frame of any suitable construction,and I do not limit myself in this particular. The said supportingbeam 1,

which is hereinafter referred to in this specification as a support, isprovided with guides disposed above the press-box in whicha bale isbeing or has been formed, as will be understood. In practice I proposeto employ a pair of the said beams 4, which may be either disposed inline with each other or at right angles to each other, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2. Each of the said beams 4 is provided at its endswith suitable means, here shown as hooks 6, for engaging the removablefollowers D.

On the upper side of the support 1, at a point midway between the guides2 3, is securedthe cylinder 7 of a fluid-pressure mechanism, the ram orpiston 8 of which fluidpressure mechanism is operative in the saidcylinder. The latter has its lower portion. connected by a pipe 9 to asuitable pump or other suitable mechanism (not here shown) for forcingwater, oil, or other suitable fluids under pressure into the lower endof the cylinder 7, and thereby apply fluid-pressure to the piston 8,which is the movable element of the fluid-pressure mechanism, and raisethe said piston, as will be understood. A suitable tank 10 is connectedto the pipe 9 by a drain-pipe 11, in which is a valve 12, and the saidtank is also connected by a pipe 13 to the pump or other meanshereinbefore referred to for forcing fluid under pressure to thecylinder of the fluid-pressure mechanism.

On the upper end of the piston 8 is disposed the upper cross-beam 14 ofa vertically-movable frame, whichis actuated by the fluidpressuremechanism to compress the bales of cotton after the same have beenformed by the cotton-press. The lower beam 15 of the saidvertically-movable frame is connected to the upper beam 14 by means ofguide-bars 16, which are vertically disposed and parallel with eachother and operate axially in and.

are guided by the guides 2 3. The said bars 16 are here shown as ofcylindrical form; but this may be varied without departing from thespirit of my invention, and said guidebars are here shown as havingscrew-threaded extremities which pass through openings in the beams 1415 and are provided with nuts 17 18 to secure them, respectively, to thebeams 14 15.

A bale is initially formed in one of the press-boxes between theremovable follower D and the counter-follower 5 above said press box bythe operation of the plunger 0. The doors E are then opened, the hooks 6engaged with the removable follower D, and the beam -4 is then revolvedon the combined guide and pivot 2 -to dispose the said removablefollower with the bale thereon over the lower beam 15 of thevertically-movable frame. Fluid-pressure is then by the operation of thepump applied to the interior of the cylinder 7 and the lower end of theram or piston 8, and hence the latter is caused to move the frameupwardly, thereby compressing the bale, increasing its density, andreducing it to the required size for shipment. The operation of the pumpis then pretermitted and the valve 12 opened to allow the fluid to flowback from the cylinder 7 into the tank 10. The latter is also thereservoir from which the pump draws its supply, so that the sameliquidis used over and over again. It will be understood that when my improvedcompress is thus used in connection with a cotton-press having a plurality of movable press-boxes the gins may be operated continuously,fillingone of the pressboxes while a bale is formed in the other and removedtherefrom to the compress. Under normal conditions the compress may beoperated to compress a bale while another is being formed in one of thepress-boxes. In the event, however, that any delay is experienced incompressing a bale or in banding or tying the same the upper beam 4 maybe used, being first disposed at right angles to the lower beam, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2; hence enabling the bales to be removedfrom the press as rapidly as they are formed and suspended and held bythe beams 4 prepara tory to being compressed. The fi uid-pressu remechanism being disposed midway between the guide-bars of the movablecompressingframe and directly in line with the line of force, stress isapplied equally to both sides of the compressing-frame, and hence thereis no tendency to rack or cant the same when in operation. The paralleldisposition of the guide-bars l6 and the guides 2 3, in which theyoperate, facilitates the operation of the compressing-frame.Furthermore, the cylinder 7 being fixed on the support 1 and the pistonor ram 8 being connected directly to the upper beam 14 of thecompressing-frame, said cylinder and ram also serve to counteract anytendency of the compressing-frame to become canted or inclined in eitherdirection.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In combination with apress, including a movable press-box, a fixed support having guides, amovable compressing-frame having parallel guide-bars operating in saidguides, a fluid-pressure mechanism disposed between said guides on saidsupport and connected to an element of the movable frame at a pointintermediate the guide-bars thereof, and a revoluble element mounted onone of the guides to carry a bale from the press to thecompressing-frame, for the purpose set forth, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with a press, including a movable press-box, a fixedsupport having guides, a movable compressing-frame having parallelguide-bars operating in said guides, a fluid-pressure mechanism disposedbetween said guides on said support and connected to an element of themovable frame at a point intermediate the guide-bars thereof and aplurality of revoluble elements independently mounted for revolution onone of the guides, for the purpose set forth, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with a press, including a movable press-box, a fixedsupport having a guide, a movable compressing-frame hav ing an elementto travel in said guide, means to operate said compressingframe, and arevoluble element mounted on the guide to carry a bale from the press tothe compressing-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. DENTON.

Witnesses:

EMMET PENN, 15. M. MONTGOMERY.

